Islamabad, August 21, 2026: The Government of Pakistan and Google have signed a landmark memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at accelerating Pakistan’s digital transformation, expanding digital skills and fostering artificial intelligence-driven innovation, with a joint ambition to help take the country’s IT exports and digital economy to $30 billion by 2030.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif witnessed the signing ceremony and also hosted a special reception in honour of the visiting Google leadership delegation.
The ceremony was attended by Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Google Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy Wilson White, US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker and other senior officials.
The MoU was signed by Secretary of the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication Zarrar Hasham Khan and Google Head of South-East Asia and South Asia Public Policy David Weller.
Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the agreement as an important milestone in Pakistan’s partnership with Google and the country’s broader digital transformation.
“It’s a wonderful day in our partnership. It’s a stepping stone towards a long journey of contributing towards a field that is very important,” the prime minister said, stressing the importance of empowering Pakistan’s youth with modern technologies and digital tools.
He said Pakistan’s large young population represented an opportunity to transform the country’s economic fortunes, particularly as digital technologies were increasingly being integrated into governance and other sectors.
Under the agreement, Google intends to provide 150,000 Google Career Certificates to Pakistani youth in 2026, equipping them with market-ready skills in high-demand technical fields.
The programme could be expanded in subsequent years to create further employment opportunities in high-growth sectors and strengthen Pakistan’s pool of digitally skilled human resources.
Google also intends to explore providing advanced artificial intelligence tools to Pakistani students, including one year of free access to Google AI Plus and Gemini Notebook, to support academic and research activities.
The initiative aims to enhance students’ competitiveness and help develop the skilled workforce required to expand Pakistan’s IT exports.
As part of the agreement, Pakistan and Google will establish a dedicated Google AI Centre of Excellence in Islamabad to train Pakistani youth and professionals according to international technology market standards.
The partnership will also promote AI adoption across government and key economic sectors.
Under the Prime Minister’s Federal Board of Revenue transformation plan, Google will support the FBR in exploring the use of AI to modernise public service delivery, streamline government operations and accelerate the digital transformation of tax administration.
AI applications will also be explored in agriculture, including crop monitoring, yield forecasting and sustainable farming.
Digital platforms will further be used to help small and medium-sized enterprises expand their presence in international markets.
The MoU also provides for cooperation to support Pakistani app developers and gaming studios and explore ways to strengthen the country’s digital payments ecosystem and expand digital trade.
The government and Google will work together to identify opportunities for innovation and growth across Pakistan’s technology sector, including the development of mobile applications and gaming industry accelerators.
Minister for IT and Telecommunications Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the government had spent the past two years working to modernise Pakistan’s digital infrastructure, facilitate business and expand the country’s IT skills base and human resource capacity.
She described the agreement as an important step in advancing Pakistan’s digital transformation agenda and positioning the country as a competitive participant in the global digital economy.
Google Cluster Director for Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand Farhan Qureshi said the partnership would help unlock Pakistan’s digital potential and empower the country’s next generation of technology talent.
He said Google was proud to support Pakistan’s ambition to build a $30 billion digital economy by expanding access to critical skills, advanced AI tools and sector-specific innovations.
A joint task force comprising representatives of the Government of Pakistan, Google and key industry stakeholders will be established to identify obstacles and opportunities for increasing IT exports.
The task force will examine measures including an investment framework for hardware manufacturing and technology services, expansion of Pakistan’s access to global markets and further upskilling of the country’s technology workforce.
The agreement represents a significant expansion of Pakistan’s cooperation with Google, linking digital skills development and AI adoption with broader objectives of economic growth, export expansion, public-sector modernisation and national digitalisation.
